You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

I think I know what the answer is going to be but here goes...
Since my return to work I've been pumping 3X a day to supply my nanny with the next day's meal for DD. My very expensive double electric tommee tippee pump has turned out to be inadequate for this task. I basically have to keep it plugged in, even when charged, or it has less power. Also I have to pump one side at a time because switching to dual pump reduces power on both sides. They have been great and already sent me a brand new motor, battery and air tubes. No change. It's the design. I'm guessing when they evolved from only selling a single to a double they didn't change the motor.

The question is, will any pump that you buy at retail be up for the job or do you really have to go professional grade purchase or rental? I know it's a tough question because it also depends on the person. I'd describe my supply as normal - not over supply - I can get a max of 5 oz after pumping both sides and its work - massage, compression, maneuvering - and when I take the pump away and check to see what's going on down there, I sense that a better product would be doing more. If there is such a thing.

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

i don't know anything about tommee tippe pumps, didn't even know they made one - but the fact i didn't know is NOT a good sign. reputable double electrics are medela PIS, ameda PY, hygeia. i liked my ameda PY and had longterm output about like yours with it. those professoinal grade pumps run in the $250-300 range, and they're sufficient for probably most full-time working pumpers. hospital grade is the next level up and runs over $1000 each which is why people rent them, and i think they're nice if you have the extra money for it, but i didn't use one.

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

Originally Posted by @llli*auderey

i don't know anything about tommee tippe pumps, didn't even know they made one - but the fact i didn't know is NOT a good sign. reputable double electrics are medela PIS, ameda PY, hygeia. i liked my ameda PY and had longterm output about like yours with it. those professoinal grade pumps run in the $250-300 range, and they're sufficient for probably most full-time working pumpers. hospital grade is the next level up and runs over $1000 each which is why people rent them, and i think they're nice if you have the extra money for it, but i didn't use one.

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

If price is an issue, Ameda and Hygeia are both designed to be able to be used by more than one woman (the milk collection is isolated from the pump itself). This means that you can get used ones from ebay or the like without risk of contamination. My $75 second hand Ameda Purely Yours is going strong on baby #2
It has battery and car adapter, but I usually use a wall outlet.

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

Originally Posted by @llli*lehall

If price is an issue, Ameda and Hygeia are both designed to be able to be used by more than one woman (the milk collection is isolated from the pump itself). This means that you can get used ones from ebay or the like without risk of contamination. My $75 second hand Ameda Purely Yours is going strong on baby #2
It has battery and car adapter, but I usually use a wall outlet.

Thanks, very helpful. Time is more of an issue than price. In a week and a half at least twice I haven't pumped enough for the next day and our nanny had to hit the freezer stash, plus we used it her first day. Not a comfortable situation if it continues.

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

you also want to be careful about buying a used pump because you never know HOW used it is. they're designed for about 400 hours of pumping, which is around 1 year of full time work pumping. some people get lucky and they last longer, but if you buy new you're covered by warranty (i got 2 new amedas from them iwthin the year).

Re: Frequent pumper, pump sucks (in a bad way)

I use the Medela Pump in Style Advanced and it works great. I can empty both breasts in as little as 6 minutes if I'm full, 10 minutes if I'm less full. I've used the same pump for a year with baby #1 and I'm on month 7 with baby #3. Hopefully it doesn't give out on me (I've definitely read these types of pumps are usually good for a year of pumping) - if it does I will probably rent a hospital-grade pump. With baby #2 I used the Medela Freestyle, which for me was a much less effective pump than the PISA. (However, for that baby I had to carry the pump around a lot more for logistical reasons, and I liked the fact that it was so light. But I needed a lot more time per session - up to 20 to 30 minutes - to obtain the same amount of milk.) I've also tried the regular (ie, non-advanced) Medela Pump in Style and found that it was also much less effective than the Advanced version (again, required double the amount of time to get the same amount of milk). Anyway, if time is your main issue, I would recommend the Pump in Style Advanced based on my experience, though I have not tried the Ameda or Hygeia.